Article by Cameron Spink

On October 27^th Jim Wallis (presidential advisor and founder of the Sojourners magazine) debated Albert Mohler (president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) on the topic of social justice. Namely, "Is Social Justice an Essential Part of the Mission of the Church?". Jim Wallis was in the affirmative and Albert Mohler took the negative to this question. The question, as it stands, relies on both parties personally believing the position they defend. And they do, Wallis is a progressive who is a regular activist and very much in the President's ear. Mohler is a conservative who is convicted in the purity of the Gospel by itself.

This debate is very civil from the outset. It appears that both men respect the credentials and the ministries of one another. One could be almost convinced that these two men were arguing two sides of the same coin. Do not be deceived, though. Mohler advocates that "the preaching of the New Testament is the preaching of the Kingdom. It is first and foremost the preaching about how sinners can be made right with God. The apostolic preaching in the book of Acts, did it have social implications? Of course it did, but the preaching itself is the preaching of the Gospel" (67:37). He elaborates upon this saying "the Gospel is about how sinners, who rightly deserve nothing but the eternal condemnation of God, nonetheless are redeemed by His decisive act in Jesus Christ, to redeem sinners" (110:50).

Jim Wallis states his definition as "justice is integral to the Gospel" (108:30) and is "not an add-on or an extra-curricular or a secondary or something that happens...." (109:33). It should be clear that these definitions are not equal. Where this separation occurs is the interpretation of Luke 4:18-19:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Luke 4:18-19 (ESV)

Wallis would advocate that this decree by Jesus incorporates a directive to help the poor and to right injustice. Mohler would be of the opinion that this verse is merely endorsing the proclamation of the Gospel to the poor and a social justice agenda cannot be attached to the essence of the Gospel by this verse. Frankly, Wallis' argument is untenable. While acts of social justice are important for Christians to do it is not at the essence of the Gospel. To try and place social justice at the centre is to undermine the Gospel greatly and to distort the purpose of the Church.

During this debate Jim Wallis uses many anecdotes. In fact, the amount of tales he tells stretches to the absurd. He defends his position with them and not with Bible verses. Such a strategy should be a strong warning sign when discussing a theological issue. One such anecdote he discusses is his interactions with the Occupy Wall Street movement and he states that "they're talking about massive inequality which, by the way, is a biblical issue" (89:00). He also mentions "economic unfairness" (92:00). It is easy to say this, but he needs to point to Bible verses to defend his position. The bulk of verses that speak about justice in the Bible are in reference to God's righteous judgment against human kind. It should also be said that the people involved in Occupy Wall Street are, more likely than not, participating in jealous, which is condemned in the Bible.

Jim Wallis insinuates that the Gospel is a non-practical vessel without social justice being attached to it. For instance, some of the anecdotes he told basically end up with people asking "why do you do the things that you do?" (64:06) which provide him with the ah-ha moment to confirm that he is a Christian. This suggests that as Christians we have the moral superiority over others. That it is the example of our actions that bring people to Christ. But this begs the question; can a person be swayed by an atheists good deeds? Why should a Christian doing good influence them more? So we see that our actions are auxiliary, a response to the Gospel and not the Gospel itself.

I am an avid fan of Albert Mohler. There are very few men like him in theological circles. Yet I felt that in this debate Mohler had the opportunity to really stamp on Wallis' misguided assumptions about the Gospel and the way he uses Jesus for his own political purposes. He did not even engage with Wallis in the actual debate about this and it was only in question time that we see Mohler really rejecting what Wallis was saying. Dan Phillips, Christian blogger, has elaborated on this point and I find his analysis of the debate both succinct and worth reading. Mohler is clear on the Gospel but he also needed to be clear on his rejection of Jim Wallis' definition from the get-go. After all, he knew what Wallis was going to say and such perversities should not be left to stand.

What is required from the Church is very simple. The Church must stand on the truth that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Through this truth disciples will be born. Part of their role is to minister to the poor and help the poor. However, this role is not, nor should it ever be, the essence of the Gospel. To portray the Gospel as such should not be tolerated.

http://www.henrycenter.org/media/player_video.php?id=318

Roy Williams, well known for writing the book God, Actually, has written a brilliant article on The Punch today in regards to the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible. Here is an exerpt:

Atheists shouldn’t damn the Bible with faint praise
Roy Williams, 23rd May 2011

"Why, on the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, are its praises being sung by so many prominent atheists?

Richard Dawkins himself, best-selling author of The God Delusion, has led the charge.  In an article published in the Christmas issue of New Statesman, Dawkins hailed the KJV as an “astonishing piece of English literature”.  He hoped to “encourage our schools to bring this precious English heritage to all our children, whatever their background”.

Here in Australia there have been similar calls.  A few weeks ago, Prime Minister Julia Gillard got into the act.  “It’s impossible to understand Western literature,” she opined, “without having that key of understanding [of] the Bible stories and how Western literature builds on them and reflects them”.....

All this is true, yet I cannot shake this conviction: much of the praise for the KJV which we are now hearing from atheists and agnostics is, at best, jejune.  At worst, it is misplaced and insincere.

There is far too heavy a focus on the KJV’s status as a sort of elite cultural icon.

Dawkins is quite candid on this score.  He admits that he cannot abide translations of the Bible other than the KJV, whether they are closer to the meaning of the original ancient texts or not.  He wants the KJV taught in schools “not as history, not as science and not (oh please not) as morality.  But as literature.”....

Click here to go to the full article on The Punch's website.

Here is a parody on Rob Bell's Love Wins promo video:

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This is the original:

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Now I have not read the book so I cannot comment upon it (however, it is ordered so there will be a forthcoming review).

For the moment enjoy the parody of Bell's bizarre video.

Here's a great list that Kevin DeYoung has compiled regarding books that will be released next year. Keep an eye out for these titles on shelves and bookdepository in 2012.

A Sneak Peak at 2012

Article by Kevin DeYoung

"I asked several publishers to highlight upcoming books that might appeal to the readers of this blog. I chose three books from each of their recommendations (and a few houses didn't respond). I haven't read these books (except for one or two) so I don't know what is in each one, but from what I can tell these look like some very promising selections.

The write up for each book comes from the publisher.

Thanks to Andrew and Jenny for doing all the hard work in setting up this post.

Baker Books

Alister E. McGrath. Mere Apologetics: How to Help Seekers & Skeptics Find Faith (January 2012). Throughout history there have been great and articulate defenders of the faith. But with the new challenges of scientific atheism we see in our day, there is a need for a fresh and flexible approach to apologetics. Rather than supplying the fine detail of every apologetic issue in order to win arguments, Mere Apologetics teaches a method that appeals not only to the mind but also to the heart and the imagination.

Josh James Riebock. Heroes and Monsters: An Honest Look at the Struggle Within Us All (March 2012). In this stunningly honest, compelling, and ultimately hopeful book, Josh James Riebock explores issues of trust, obedience, intimacy, dreams, grief, purpose, and the unexpected stops along the journey that form us into the people we are. In a creative way, he shows readers that pain and beauty are so inextricably linked that to lose the former costs us the latter.

Shawn Lovejoy. The Measure of Our Success: An Impassioned Plea to Pastors (May 2012). In this honest and encouraging book, Shawn Lovejoy calls pastors back to the "main thing"-the call to love people and make disciples-and to measure their success the way God does. Using Scripture, personal examples, and case studies, Lovejoy gently leads pastors back to their first love, and in doing so he leads them toward a more effective and joy-filled ministry.

Bethany House

Ted Kluck and Dallas Jahncke. Dallas and the Spitfire: An Old Car, an Ex-Con, and an Unlikely Friendship (April 2012). Ted is a thirty-something father of two who's been going to church his whole life. Dallas is a twenty-one-year-old former cocaine addict who has recently become a Christian. When they agree to meet for "discipleship," they know that chatting over coffee once a week won't cut it-restoring an old Triumph Spitfire is more their speed. Filled with surprises and humor, this is the story of two lives changed, and along the way it gives readers a new model for men's ministry.

Chris Travis. Insignificant: Why You Matter in the Surprising Way God Is Changing the World (August 2012). Chris taught math for two years in a middle school in Harlem that the media considers the most dangerous school in all of New York. Now he is planting a church in another rough area of the city. Through stories of his time teaching and examples from the lives of others, Chris casts a vision of how God has a way of turning things upside down: making the weak strong, the foolish wise, and the insignificant matter.

R. Albert Mohler, Jr. The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters (Fall 2012). Cultures and organizations do not change without strong leadership. While many leadership books focus on management or administration, the central focus of The Conviction to Lead is on changing minds. Using his own experiences and examples from history, Dr. Mohler demonstrates that real leadership is a transferring of conviction to others, affecting their actions, motivations, intuition, and commitment. This practical guide walks the reader through what a leader needs to know, do, and be in order to affect change.

Crossway

Gerald Hiestand, Jay S. Thomas. Sex, Dating, and Relationships: A Fresh Approach (February 2012). A paradigm-shifting book on purity and relationships that challenges even the basic assumptions of evangelical subculture, Heistand and Thomas equip and engage readers to get serious about honoring Christ with their sexuality.

Matt Chandler, with Jared C. Wilson. The Explicit Gospel (April 2012). Few pastors are more gifted than Matt Chandler at reaching both the "overchurched" and the "unchurched" with the gospel. In this, his first book, Chandler insists that we make the gospel-in both its micro and macro aspects-explicit in all that we do.

Michael J. Kruger. Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books (April 2012). Combine popular-level interest in the Gospel of Thomas and Bart Ehrman's Misquoting Jesus, with the current gap in evangelical scholarship on the origins of the New Testament, this book meets a significant need for an up-to-date work on canon by addressing recent developments in the field. The result is an academically rigorous yet accessible study of the New Testament canon that looks deeper than the traditional surveys of councils and creeds, mining the text itself for direction in understanding what the original authors and audiences believed the canon to be.

David C. Cook

Britt Merrick. Godspeed: Making Christ's Mission Your Own (Summer 2012). There is a discrepancy today between the life of most American Christians and the life of Jesus in the Gospels-and the outside world has noticed. Yet, a growing number of believers feel that something's missing and are aching to live authentic lives like Jesus. Godspeed equips the twenty-first-century Church to join with Christ as He's presently on mission all around them. Jesus said, "As the Father sent me, I also send you" (John 20:21). Godspeed follows this pivotal Scripture to reveal the Father's mandate for mission, the Son's model of mission, and the Spirit's ministry through mission.

R.C. Sproul. The Work of Christ: What the Events of Jesus' Life Mean for You (Summer 2012). In The Work of Christ, Sproul looks at every aspect of Jesus' life and work, addressing such life-changing topics as: Why Jesus' baptism is relevant for our salvation; The similarities and differences between the temptation of the first Adam and the temptation of Jesus, the "second Adam"; How God uses song to celebrate his redemptive acts; Why the Last Supper marks the beginning of a greater exodus than that of the Old Testament; How Jesus' death and resurrection are grounded in the eternal covenant among the persons of the Trinity; Why Jesus' ascension makes a difference in our lives today; and what we know and don't know about Jesus' return.

James McDonald. Vertical Church: What Every Heart Longs For. What Every Church Can Be (Summer 2012). Church is about God: God's glory, God's Son, God's Word, God's presence. End of discussion. Vertical Church is about a total shift in our thinking. This is where honoring God and adoring His Son and proclaiming His Word and seeking His face are the total focus. Vertical Church is about challenging people, inviting them to something harder, calling them to something deeper, discovering something far better and more authentic. It's a bold call to pastors, church leaders, and motivated disciples to fully embrace the truth that the church is first and last about the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

Moody

Lee Eclov. Pastoral Graces: Reflections on the Care of Souls (May 2012). When Jesus Christ, the Lord of the church, calls a pastor He instills a kind of heightened instinct for grace; what we call a shepherd's heart. However, pastors often become disoriented by leadership demands, congregational expectations, and the wounds of ministry.  They forget how to use the grace of Christ in the everyday work of pastoring. Lee Eclov equips the reader to understand their calling, their equipping, ministering in difficult circumstances and relationships, and how to finish well.

Carol Barnier. Engaging Today's Prodigal: Clear Thinking, New Approaches, and Reasons for Hope (April 2012). Many families today experience the profound guilt and shame-filled pain of seeing a child walk away from their faith and values. Parents and churches often feel powerless to change the relationship and engage the prodigal in positive ways. With wit and humor Carol Barnier equips the reader with a better understanding of a prodigal's motivation, useful responses that won't prevent reconciliation, clear boundaries to protect themselves and other children, and the value of realistic expectations.

Brian Fikkert, Steve Corbett, John Perkins. When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself (Updated Edition) (April 2012). An updated edition of the paradigm-shifting book that equips individuals and churches to implement what they have learned about mercy ministry and missions efforts.  Focuses particularly on the principle of Asset Based Development with a new foreword from David Platt.

Thomas Nelson

Doug Wilson. Indispensible Dad (May, 2012). This book is a thoughtful and timely excursion into our culture of fatherlessness, what Wilson calls "the central malady of our time." Central because it is the cause of so many of the ills we face-everything from atheism and crime to joyless feminism and paternalistic government expansion-but most important because of the effect it has on families, children, wives, and husbands. Bottom line: when fathers are checked out, left out, or ruled out, it hurts literally everyone.

Patrick Henry Reardon (foreword by Russell Moore). The Jesus We Missed: The Surprising Truth About the Humanity of Christ (February 14, 2012). A respected and beloved theologian shows how a renewed appreciation for the humanity of Jesus Christ can better our biblical understanding of the Savior, strengthen our faith, intensify our relationship with him, and give us hope in the darkest hours of our lives. While taking special care not to minimize the Godhood of Christ, Patrick Henry Reardon helps readers come to grips with his real flesh-and-blood humanity-the confession of the Christian church for 2,000 years.

John MacArthur. Twelve Unlikely Heroes: How God Commissioned Unexpected People in the Bible and What He Wants to Do with You (August 7, 2012). In the third installment of the Twelve series, readers discover that true success is measured in terms of obedience, humility, and faithfulness to God. In Twelve Unlikely Heroes readers gain new insights into the kind of people God uses, and what it means to be successful in his eyes. It highlights this wonderful mystery: that God uses weak, foolish, and broken people to showcase his power, wisdom, and love. He works through those who are humble, contrite, and eager to obey. By God's grace and for his glory, ordinary sinners are unexpectedly transformed into heroes of the faith."

Click here to go to Kevin DeYoung's website at Gospel Coalition.

Article by Cameron Spink

David Wilkerson is perhaps not a known name for Christian young adults. This is a great shame because his work and ministry has had wide-spread impact, particularly in America.

David was born May 19th 1931. Through his work he committed himself to promoting a gospel-centred doctrine while displaying an understanding of the real practical realities of ministry.

He is noted for many outstanding achievements through his life. In 1958 he created a program called Teen Challenge. This ministry touched the lives of so many teens who were caught up in issues ranging from drugs to gang affairs and even prostitution. This ministry is still doing strong rehabilitation work today.

David Wilkerson became a household name, however, for co-writing the book The Cross and the Switchblade in 1963. This book speaks of gang member Nicky Cruz’s transition because of Wilkerson preaching the gospel to him.

David Wilkerson died last Wednesday, three weeks from his 80th birthday. His time on earth is just a small speck compared to human’s long and chequered history of our relationship with our maker. Yet for so many people he has had a profound effect on their understanding on life, priorities and what it means to really engage with some of the darkest clutches of Satan’s power.

Here is a video that epitomises his work:

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A fantastic web series titled "Into the Amazon" has been created using just two cameras, the 5D mk II and the 1D mk IV. See the trailer here:

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Not only does it look like quality entertainment it also presents views from a Christian worldview. Going to their website (http://www.intotheamazon.org/) reveals some big questions like:

What is the truth about global warming?

How are modern day evolutionists and anthropologists harming the tribes of the jungle?

How should Christians and creationists understand man’s stewardship responsibilities over the Amazon?

While I haven't seen the series yet I know they are asking the right questions and I look forward to seeing where they take this journey.